International press review on surrogacy.
Latest review: 14 October 2026 · 14 articles in the archive
Appearing on the first episode of France 2's "L'Heure de vérité" on 8 October, the Horizons candidate said he opposes surrogacy, which he links to the commodification of the body, and would remain opposed "for quite a while yet". This sets him apart from Gabriel Attal, who favours "ethical surrogacy".
The government bill "Strafrechtsänderungsgesetz 2026" (624 d.B.), tabled on 22 September and scheduled for the Nationalrat plenary on 14 October, adds "exploitation in connection with surrogacy" to the trafficking offence, along with forced marriage and abusive adoption. Knowingly using the services of trafficking victims becomes punishable. ÖVP MP Gudrun Kugler: "A human being is not a commodity and the body is not a product."
On 12 October, PT deputy Reginaldo Sandoval Flores tabled an amendment to Mexico's General Law against Trafficking in Persons. It would punish surrogacy arrangements, including brokered or financed ones, with 10 to 20 years in prison (up to 25 years where the victim is a minor or there is deception or abuse). Doctors, notaries and intermediaries would face 5 to 15 years and a ban from practice.
Guojun Xuan and Silvia Zhang were arrested in Arcadia (Los Angeles County) and charged with conspiracy to commit child abuse and witness intimidation; they pleaded not guilty and are held on $20 million bail. The couple reportedly had at least 25 children through surrogates; 21 were placed in state protection in July 2025. The case revives debate over the lack of screening of intended parents in the United States.
Published on 7 September after the "In the Name of the Child" conference (Melbourne, 21-22 August) organised by ARMS, it calls on federal, state and territory governments to abolish all forms of surrogacy. It brings together former surrogates, mothers separated from their children by adoption, people born through surrogacy or donation, and lawyers. The Australian Law Reform Commission report, due on 11 September, may not be released until mid-November.
Coverage of the federal proposal to make surrogacy a criminal offence, with specific penalties for intermediaries, health professionals and public notaries who facilitate such arrangements.
The biological parents of the child born to surrogate McKenna West are asking the judge to close the case, accusing her of exploiting media attention. According to TMZ, the couple had considered ending the pregnancy after a diagnosis of a malformation; the surrogate gave birth in Texas and is still seeking custody. An emblematic case of conflict between a surrogate and commissioning parents.
Op-ed in the US journal Public Discourse on the German debate over possibly liberalising surrogacy, which is banned in Germany. Useful for following the arguments at play.
Miracle Surrogacy announced it is renewing a $3,000 grant for intended parents in October and says it held nearly 50 private consultations in Manhattan. An illustration of the industry's marketing strategies.
The State Department's 2026 Trafficking in Persons report keeps Nigeria on Tier 2. It describes "baby factories" disguised as orphanages, maternity homes or religious centres, where women are held and forced to carry pregnancies to term before the children are sold. No investigation of complicit officials was reported. The article draws no explicit link to surrogacy, but documents a form of reproductive exploitation.
Launched by minister Aurore Bergé and published in Ouest-France on 28 May, the op-ed is signed by, among others, Xavier Bertrand, David Lisnard, Rachida Dati, Manuel Valls, Laurence Rossignol, Agnès Buzyn and Horizons MPs Agnès Firmin Le Bodo and Frédéric Valletoux. It responds to Gabriel Attal's wish to open the surrogacy debate during the campaign.
Two days after declaring his candidacy, Gabriel Attal told Le Parisien that the surrogacy debate "existed and should not be hidden". On France 3, Maud Bregeon said she was "extremely opposed" to any legalisation and called the practice contrary to feminism.
According to Paris Match, as reported by the JDD, Gabriel Attal argues for an "ethical surrogacy" based on consent and without direct payment, and does not rule out including it in his 2027 platform. Emmanuel Macron said in 2024 that surrogacy "is not compatible with the dignity of women".
Speaking on BFMTV's "Face à BFM" on 11 March 2021, as president of the Rassemblement National, Marine Le Pen said that "human beings are not consumer goods". It is her main public statement on surrogacy found so far, and predates her 2027 candidacy.
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